Landmark emergency room disrupted by pepper spray

September 13, 2013

WOONSOCKET â€” The emergency room at Landmark Medical Center was closed Friday afternoon after pepper spray used by police during an incident in the hospital entered the buildingâ€™s ventilation system.
â€śThis afternoon, an incident occurred in our emergency room that required the response of the Woonsocket Police Department,â€ť hospital officials said in a statement issued early Friday evening. â€śDuring their response, pepper spray was utilized in our emergency room area to subdue an individual. Unfortunately, the pepper spray was pulled into the emergency roomâ€™s ventilation system.â€ť
The hospital said the emergency room was then closed and the area was then ventilated.
â€śWe are grateful only one of our patients was minimally impacted by todayâ€™s incident. No other area of the hospital was affected by this incident.â€ť
The emergency room was reopened and fully functional by 7:15 p.m., said Bill Fischer, a spokesman for the hospital. Ambulances were diverted to other hospitals while the emergency room was closed, hospital officials said. Police did not have further information available Friday night.